For the Love of Food
by sarista wow
Summary: Emerald Sustrai knew food, and more importantly she knew hunger like so few did. The promise of food, of protection and understanding should have been enough. Then a girl in a red threw herself into Emerald's life.
Emerald Sustrai stood in the red carpeted and dull cream hallway of Beacon Academies first year dorms. She was still in her black Mistral uniform and glaring at the baleful vending machine before her with hard red eyes. The flashing food and drink dispenser was nearly empty, likely having been assaulted by wave after wave of newly arrived students just as the ones in the guest dormitories had been. Not only that but it wasn't even taking Emerald's money! 'And when I'm actually paying for something too!' She thought, loathing the absurdity of a thief paying for food, but her orders to not draw attention, 'Don't disappoint her again!' and the security cameras all around stayed her hands.

That did nothing to quench the rumbling of her stomach though and Emerald knew the few other machines to be already empty or worse than useless.'How can Beacon, one of the best institutions, barely have any vending machines and be so cheap they never fix them!?' Emerald inwardly ranted. Biting her cheek in nervousness as her stomach twisted, bubbled and flexed with hunger and tension as she thought, 'I don't need anything good just to fill my stomach, now.'

Long ago, in an alleyway far away, Emerald had been caught; somehting that should not have been possible with her experience and powers. Cornered she'd been forced to hear out a strange woman's proposition and received somehting she'd never expected, understanding. And with it came the assurance of protection and safety so long as they walked the same path, Emerald always one step behind, and more importantly, a promise. It was a simple promise, one most of the spoiled city-dwellers and village-folk might barely bat an eye at, but one that let the woman clench Emerald's heart. Cinder had promised Emerald she would never go hungry again, and she'd been as good as her word.

Emerald wanted to hit her stomach as it rumbled again; she ignored the growing discomfort and ghost pains, mere memories of a different time that ran through her mind. After their arrival had raised no eyebrows Cinder had taken Emerald and Mercury to their dorm room were they spent time sweeping for bugs and laying certain... assurances against would be eavesdroppers. Following that Cinder had them go over the plans, the changes and their roles in it down the the most minute detail. They'd done so in the vaguest manner possible just in case someone was listening which caused them to miss dinner.

Then, just to rub things in, she'd needed to complete her, Cinder's, Neo's and Mercury's homework from Mistral. It was part of their cover and she needed to ensure they were all different enough so that no one got caught out or drew attention. It was a task that had taken until nearly midnight because Neo wasn't present and wouldn't help regardless. Cinder was far, far too busy to be bothered by such piddling things and frankly Emerald doubted the little thug that was Mercury could even read. Besides, it was Cinder's order, and Emerald knew better than to ignore her commands, there was always a reason after all and Emerald knew this was a sign of trust, a chance to work off her earlier insult in assisting Mercury with that White Fang traitor.

Just as Emerald was considering making her way to the next dormitory, she was not going to sleep with hunger pains ever again, the sound of feet pounding against carpet struck her ears and Emerald sensed a faint rush of air behind her. Eyes shooting open she reached for her guns and readied for an attack, Aura and Semblance wired and ready she spun around in a blur-

Only to see the girl that she'd run into earlier coming to a screeching halt in front of her, silver eyes wide and her black and red eyed Grimm sleeping mask almost sliding over her eyes. "Uha, sorry, I didn't mean to shock you," She murmured, cheeks glowing as she pulled her mask up and tried to straighten out her ruffled black sleeping top and pink red rose covered pyjama pants.

'Idiot! Idiot, you almost gave yourself away, people in these places don't ever need to be on guard, you'll screw up Cinder's plan!' A part of her screamed. Folding her arms behind her back Emerald forced a cheery smile on her face, recalling Cinder's command to keep an eye on the girl should she let anything useful slip, and leaned back against the vending machine. "Hey, Ruby wasn't it?" Emerald asked, her words enough to draw Ruby's embarrassed and unsure silver eyes to Emerald's own. Chuckling Emerald said, "Don't worry, you didn't surprise me, I was just getting tired of this thing eating my money."

"Ah, I get that, it was Emerald wasn't it?" Ruby asked in an all too chipper tone.

"That's me, though what are you doing up so late? I was trying to catch up on work we missed when travelling," Emerald lied. If the girl generally ambled around this late there was no telling what she might accidentally see.

"Hm? Oh, me and my team are trying to brainstorm some cool new team attacks and I drew the short straw and have to make the snack run for energy drinks and stuff," Ruby answered.

"Heh, looking for a caffeine fix then?" Emerald said even as her mind ran over itself, cursing the girls bubbly, stupid smile and ignorance. 'Food just down the hall, all the money she needs to buy it, three meals for free every day,' She thought bitterly.

"I need tons, I have to sell this new attack idea to my team but I'll do it better with more sugar. See I wanna launch Yang, that's my big sister, into the air and have her smashed into the enemy via a lasso while propelled forward by speed Glyphs!" She practically cheered.

"That's a good one, I'll have to keep my head down if we end up fighting in the tournament," Emerald chuckled. She then cursed inwardly, 'Idiot, now she won't tell you anything else!'

Ruby giggled and waved her arm, "Don't worry about it, that one's pretty situational and we haven't agreed to anything yet unlike say Ice flower. Anyway you were having trouble with the machine?"

"Yep," Emerald nodded, pointing to the machine, "this one seems to be broken. You wouldn't happen to know where one that has food in and actually works is would you?"

"Better!" Ruby grinned, no she downright smirked, in the manner of a disobedient child as she giggled and moved to the vending machines side where Emerald saw some small dents in the dark metal. "Yang taught me this trick for rude vending machines," Ruby said. With a flourish of rose petals Ruby's fist impacted on the side of the machine making it rock in place as the metal clunked and foodstuff thumped into the tray at the bottom.

'Mine!' Emerald's hungry brain roared as she ducked down and immediately started piling every last can, packet and bar into her arms at blinding speeds. Some might joke that Emerald had never grown out of the 'mine' phase many babies were known to have, but it would be more accurate to say that it was the easiest way of rationalising theft her youth. That stray bit of food no one was watching, it was hers, she was hungry and no one would miss it. That lost wallet? Hers, she needed it more than anyone who could possibly be so careless. The ring off someone's finger, hers, everything was hers, if it wasn't it that meant someone was taking it from, denying it to her, and without it she'd die.

Naturally this gut reaction to grab whatever entered her vision had its problems. Namely that it looked equal parts rude, suspicious and had caused Ruby to stare down at the thief, wide eyes blinking in a silent question.

'Deflect, deflect it!' Emerald thought desperately. "Ah, sorry, just... won't you get in trouble for doing that? I figured being quick might be a good idea," Emerald managed to say even as the tantalising crisp smell of stored food and the crinkling of plastic wrappers caused her tummy to let out another rumble.

"Ah, I see," the red-tipped brunette said with an impish smile and a shrug. "Don't worry about that, this thing breaks down all the time, and if there is any trouble I'm the one who hit it. Besides you paid for the stuff so its no big deal right?"

"Sure," Emerald said. She'd paid with generous donation from other students pockets but she'd still technically paid.

"Then there's no problem! Anyway I'm gonna go find another vending machine and head back to my room, enjoy your meal Emerald and it was nice seeing you again!" Ruby called as she began strolling away and waving.

Remembering her manners Emerald called a quick thank you after the girl even as she shot back to her room, trying to shake off the odd warm sensation in her chest. 'Stop it, only Cinder understands you, that little idiot was just being wasteful tossing away food like that, she doesn't know anything!' Emerald told herself.

She kept silent tirade against Beacon, spoiled students and Ruby going all the way back to her and Cinder's room to find Mercury reclining on his bed reading a comic and Cinder bent over her Scroll. "Yo, snack me," Mercury said not taking his eyes from his comic.

"Get your own," Emerald retorted before going to Cinder's side. She hadn't eaten either, she was probably hungry, the food wasn't good enough for Cinder but Emerald couldn't break into the kitchens without orders. "Um Cinder, would you-" She started warmly, hopefully, with a smile and a high tinkling voice that said 'please don't be mad at me'.

"Quiet," Cinder said, not looking up from her Scroll.

"Ah, of course, sorry Cinder," The temperature fluctuated around Cinder and Emerald knew to back off. Drifting back to her bed Emerald quietly slid down against the wall and with careful, delicate touches undid the wrapping and ate, the bliss of food washing away her anger and her self deprecation as the room was swallowed in silence.

* * *

Emerald was sitting in the top back row of the massive Beacon lecture hall, her back was pressed against lacquered wood as her crimson eyes looked over the tiny blue forcefield before her at the the tiled circle floor in the centre of the room. Mercury, with his usual cocky swagger was trying to gauge Pyrrha Nikos, tournament champion, and apparently a person of interest within Beacon Academy for even the mysterious Ozpin. That was more than enough reason for Cinder to want the girl checked out, even without them needing to be ready for the tournament.

"Hey you're friends pretty good," Ruby said from the seat in front of and below her, looking up at Emerald with that same inane grin that seemingly came from nowhere.

Emerald sent her a smile that was only a little strained and the girl quickly turned back to the fight, practically bounding in her seat and... Emerald sniffed the air. 'I smell cookies, freshly baked too,' She thought, red eyes shooting away from Mercury to look at Ruby's red caped back.

After a moment Emerald tore her gaze, but not her nose from the cookies and was glad she'd maintained just enough presence of mind to keep Pyrrha and Goodwitch from noting Mercury's legs. 'Urg my head,' She thought, Emerald could feel herself going cross-eyed already. Mercury's boots were good, but in the middle of a fight anything could happen and Cinder apparently had big plans for his prosthetics. Emerald refused to consider Mercury taking an injury, if it was believable, to be him playing an important role, he was just Cinder' attack dog.

Moments later he seemingly got what he was looking for after putting Nikos on the defensive and quit out with his usual carefree attitude, despite the teachers snark, or perhaps because of it. In her extended interactions with Mercury Emerald had learnt few things amused the boy, and sometimes herself, more than being in the know when others were ignorant. She rose from her seat and readied her Semblance to nab a cookie or three from the little plastic bag on Ruby's desk when the girl jumped up and held them out to her.

Emerald blinked in obvious confusion.

"I know how tough it can be trying to catch up on work, especially after just arriving, so I thought these might be nice!" She said with a cheerful little smile so beyond Emerald's frame of reference she couldn't even put a name to it.

'Food is food,' her mind said, and, still stunned Emerald, Emerald smoothly brought the bag into her hands and managed to snap herself out of her daze at Mercury's thumping approach. Grinning Emerald said, "Thanks, that's so nice off you, I'll have to pay you back sometime!"

"Ah, don't worry about it, just enjoy them!" Ruby said, waving as she passed Emerald by and raced to catch up with her team.

"Isn't that just adorable," Mercury snarked, "Gonna share buddy?"

"Hmph, they were made for me, not for you, maybe you should work on your character acting," Emerald answered haughtily.

"Heh, not a chance, learning my way is too much fun," He enthused with clenched fists as they made their way out of the class. "Of course, I bet Cinders going to get some," Mercury said as Emerald slipped the first chocolate chip cookie into her mouth and relished the explosively sugary taste and might crunch. Yet it almost turned to ash in her mouth at his words, Cinder would not appreciate it, Cinder had no time for trivialities, that was why she led and Emerald followed, she wasn't distracted by... meaningless things.

"Shut up Mercury," Emerald snapped as she marched ahead of him, rushing every cookie into her mouth with careful precision to not let a single crumb drop and desperately trying to outrun the boys chuckle.

* * *

After the cookies it almost became a running gag.

Emerald found herself joining Ruby, her team and her other 'friends' for dinner, or lunches, or random snacks. From that she'd learnt their feelings on classes, bands, and favourite foods; she had nabbed one of Blake's fish shaped cookies much to the girls chagrin, split ribs with Yang and and been given some fancy chocolates by Weiss. Sometimes the Ruby would just pop out of nowhere and Emerald would eventually find food in her hands and a somewhat more genuine smile on her lips.

Mercury found it hilarious and made jokes about her at every opportunity. Cinder however was disappointed to discover how little Emerald was truly learning of their potential enemies, especially after they messed up the rally. Emerald's shoulder had stung for hours after Cinder had expressed disappointment in her poor ability to mine information.

'And now she's with Mercury doing who knows what?' Emerald almost seethed, but she could not find the energy. It was horrendous of her even to think it, disrespectful, bitter, and oh so ungrateful. But the image of them on the dance floor wouldn't leave her memory. She could still feel Cinder's faint touch and then its frosty absence where Emerald had felt warmth spread for just a moment... Before she was unceremoniously sent off to watch from the sidelines and listen should any alarms be raised as the duo danced the night away. Eventually Cinder and Mercury left but Emerald hadn't been told to leave and in truth... She did not want to know what, if anything, they were doing in the dorm room.

Shaking her head so fast her mind buzzed and her neck strained Emerald ignored the uncomfortable flow of her deep green dress and continued her silent march through Beacon's darkened hallways. She darted behind a corner, hands resting on the patterned wooden panel at the soft, too soft, sound of oncoming shoes. Nearby metal doors were pulled wide and clanged shut with a burst of air and Emerald was left to wonder who was up at such an hour. Edging her way across the thick cement floor Emerald peaked in through one of the small windows in the double doors and found her mood instantly brighten at the sight of the kitchen and Ruby.

Emerald silently pulled the doors open, not even bothering with her Semblance. Ruby was just staring at a microwave as it hummed, still in her pretty, almost crimson red dress that was reminiscent of Emerald's own save that the girl was only in stocking, no heels or combat boots to speak of. She was clasping and unclasping her hands, fingers running together in nervousness as she waited for the meal to click off and the scent of meat, sauce and pasta wafted into Emerald's senses.

"Something on your mind?" Emerald asked casually, seeing the girls downcast features.

"Ah!" Ruby squeaked, almost jumping into the air but with her stocking she instead slid on the tiled floor. Hand snapping out Emerald caught the girls wrist, not that it was necessary but it seemed like the... correct thing to do. "Uh, thanks Emerald," Ruby sighed as she returned to a steady stance as the microwave buzzed and the light flicked off.

"No problem," Emerald answered simply eyeing the smaller girl curiously as Ruby removed a bowl of pasta and meatballs from the microwave that, like all food, smelt amazing. Seeing Ruby was just prodding at the food with a fork, called a quiet rumble of annoyance to Emerald's throat, biting it back the thief asked, "So I didn't see much of you at the dance, not your style?"

"Heh, not really, especially with those lady stilts people call shoes but..." Ruby answered as she finally turned to face Emerald.

"But?" Emerald pressed.

Ruby sighed, shoulders sagging as silver eyes looked up at Emerald swelling with disappointment and, shame? "I left early, everyone else was having a good time and I couldn't speak to Penny with those solider guys so I figured I'd turn in early you know? But when I went passed the CCT Tower some of the guards were unconscious. So I called Crescent Rose and went to find out who did it-"

"Alone?" Emerald asked, almost too hurriedly. Why hadn't Cinder told her? How had Emerald not noticed? No wonder Cinder hadn't danced with her, Ruby was Emerald's responsibility and she'd blown it!

"Yeah, kinda dumb in hind sight, if the others had been there, ahh we'd have totally had her!" Ruby fumed, stomping her foot against the floor. "But no," She sighed. "I rushed in, we fought, she got away and I spent the last few hours answering General Ironwood's questions. He was really nice but I could tell he was upset and why wouldn't he be? I couldn't even hold her up long enough at the top of an actual freaking tower with no exits."

"Well the important thing is that you're alive," Emerald insisted, touching Ruby's shoulder and giving the smaller girl a squeeze.

The tiny smile Ruby sent her was uncomfortable, Emerald wasn't used to being looked at like that and her hand dropped away. Too warm, the sense of her skin being so close to another's for somehting other than theft was strange and, 'Cinder.' Something in her whispered as images of her saviour came rushing to the front of her mind and just as Emerald was about to turn and leave Ruby spoke.

"Hey wanna split this?" Ruby asked softly. There was a loose yellow noodle covered in light red sauce surrounding a thick meatball now held bare inches from Emerald's mouth. "I kind of overdid it on the comfort food and everyone at the dance kind of tore into the pizza and Weiss's tiny roll... things didn't last long either so I bet you're hungry and-"

Emerald's head shot forward and in an instant she gulped down the meat ball and felt a smirk drawing on her lips as Ruby giggled.

"You're always up for a meal right?"

"Always," Emerald answered.

* * *

"Hey, seeing as you're here wanna join us for lunch!?" Ruby asked enthusiastically having finally gotten over her blushing gibberish at Emerald's compliment. That and the 'lost' wallet Emerald had so kindly returned to her had washed away the fact Emerald had suckered the identities of their round two fighters from them.

"Oh, I'd really like to but..." Emerald looked over her should and saw Mercury testing the leather of a boot with his nostrils and her mind whispered, 'Food is food,' and if there was an underlying desire not to head back straight away, well that was nothing she was sure. "Yeah I could eat," Emerald said, changing tracks with ease, "I think Mercury can look after himself for a little while."

Besides, she could just tell Cinder about the match ups later.

Of course by then Emerald's information was meaningless and all she'd gotten out of it was a nice meal and an afternoon with RWBY as they watched the spectacles some actually called matches. 'At least Ruby's team actually used that slingshot attack rather than their opponents losing due to idiocy,' Emerald thought as she sauntered off. This meaning she just missed the arrival of one Qrow, leading her to being edged out by Mercury once again! The boy sent her a wicked smirk as they were sent away so Cinder could plan her next move.

Their, next move...

* * *

She didn't shout at Yang like the script said she should after the blonde had blasted Mercury's knee. Really, she didn't need to, the spectators were angry enough anyway.

The blast had only hit the side of his leg though rather than the centre. Emerald was sure her illusion should have been better focussed but an attack was an attack and the crowd was furious as Cinder ordered.

Emerald couldn't quell the ugly feeling roiling inside her at the sound of Yang's confusion and the desperate, hunted, haunted look the blonde sent her. To familiar, too much of a reminder she told herself as she hefted Mercury's arm over her should and guided the 'wounded' boy out of the stadium.

* * *

Penny was dead.

'Ruby said she'd been looking forward to testing herself in the Vytal Festival.'

Penny was a robot made in Atlas.

'Ruby said Penny had really wanted to make friends.'

Penny was nothing but a tool of Atlas with a pretty face and dress.

'Ruby said she wanted to introduce us.'

Ruby had been looking right at her from the stands while Emerald had lurked in a hallway near the arena. She knew. Emerald had felt her spine tingle and her mind grinding itself at that realization, bringing new waves of pain. She, Ruby, the girl, - When Ruby ran to the fallen combatants side Emerald turned and dashed down the hallway to the rendezvous point. She didn't look back, she refused to see the look of hate that must have been in Ruby's eyes.

Emerald threw up before she made it out of the arena.

* * *

Vale was in chaos, screams filled the air as the Grimm roared and Beacon burned. Each voice, each cry sent a chill through Emerald, her blood was like ice and her entire body stung.

Mercury's chuckle, so familiar was lost on her, Cinder's beautiful voice was the same but warped. Both sounded like demons in her ears as they relished in the carnage while Emerald could only wonder who the people down below were, and what she'd just taken from them...

* * *

In the end Emerald left with Cinder, she'd been told to after all and there was nothing else, never had been. It had all been as real as her illusions, petty, deceptive little dreams that turned to nothing when reality ensued.

Emerald had never expected Cinder to be just another dream.

But in the end she'd been left behind as Cinder and Mercury fled, and Emerald returned to being a hungry, dirt covered, girl with nothing but the clothes still thankfully covering her skin.

She sat, legs and arms restrained by some metallic bindings tied to a post and by her own worn out Aura. She was surrounded on all sides by people she knew from the Vytal Festival, all keeping a wary eye on her as they planned and talked about Aura, Dust, even magic and Grimm like it was natural, like they could understand what Cinder and her mistress were. And of course they all ate, roasted meat and pancakes of all things beat against her nostrils and left her stomach rumbling; then someone approached.

It was Ruby, black dress, red cloak billowing, both worn and torn at by time and rough battles. But the girl still had a sense of energy, of focus and drive to her that Emerald had felt was completely wrong for such a naive. 'Not so naive anymore, thanks to me...'

Ruby squatted down in-front of her, a plate of pancakes resting on her knees and the girls bright, terrifying, silver eyes were illuminated just the tiniest margin by the sun peaking shyly over the horizon. The weak orange light just barely touched the hill-based camp as the night sky remained strong up above.

Emerald stayed in her prone state, matted hair hanging in-front of her face as she leaned limply forward, held aloft only by her chains and the post she was bound to. Emerald didn't speak, offered them nothing, she didn't have the energy for such things had she even considered them. Through a rough, cracked voice she asked, "Well?"

Ruby stared into Emerald's eyes and slowly, gently she placed her hand on the thief's shoulders and leaned her back up against the pillar. From there Ruby's hands returned to her cutlery and she cut a three layered slice of red syrup covered pancake, slid her fork into it in one smooth motion and held it in front of her open mouth, sliding it in as she said, "I thought you might be hungry, hopefully this helps a bit."

It had been Ruby who'd stopped a blade from going through Emerald's heart. Ruby who insisted she be kept with them instead of handed over to her uncle. It was Ruby who'd treated a bloody and barely aware Emerald's wounds. And **now** she was offering her food!

Emerald's entire body shook, her blood roared and muscles screamed as she thrashed and kicked against her binding. Heedless of the alarm about her Aura usage beeping as she thrashed Emerald spat out the offered food and screamed, "What the fuck is wrong with you!? Why are you giving me anything!? I won't talk, I won't say sorry and I won't thank you!" Emerald's lungs burned and pressed against her insides painfully as she heaved in breath after breath despite her cracked ribs, ignoring the dozens of eyes staring at her. Just as she heard Ruby's lips part Emerald glared up at the girl and hissed, "You don't understand, don't pretend you can! There was only one person who understood me! Only one person ever cared about me and even she knew to throw me away, now there's no on-"

Another fork of pancakes were shoved in Emerald's open mouth and she accidentally gulped them down in an instant, the sap soothing her stinging rough throat. Ruby leaned forward and said, "There's still one person," She whispered gently, her voice soft like a wisp of wind across Emerald's cheek. Another fork full of food was placed before her mouth and Emerald heard two stomachs rumble in unison. "We don't have tons of rations right now so please don't spit out another one, its not right to waste food you know?" Ruby said.

Emerald looked up at the girl, at Ruby, and let out a shaky breath, "Why... Why are you doing this? I don't deserve it."

"Its not about what you or anyone else thinks you deserve, its about what we should do," Ruby answered, still holding the offered food before Emerald.

Emerald wept for the first time since she was a child that night, held tightly in Ruby's arms as she balled and screamed out all her tears.

By the next morning she was gone.

* * *

"Ruby I said we couldn't trust her and now she's-!"

"Call everyone," Ruby interrupted. Spinning around and staring down her few angry travelling companions and seeing their confusions or barely restrained anger she elaborated. "I know where Cinder is, call everyone, we need to move out now."

"You knew this would happen?" Ren asked.

Ruby did not answer his question, she couldn't, not yet. Thus she remained silent on the matter as their wandering band came together and went on the march.

Cinder didn't see it coming.

The last person she saw inside the ancient and burnt out yellow stone temple was Emerald, escaped and back at her side as she'd been trained to do.

Then it had happened, an explosion, gun fire and the sound of shattering stone. They'd turned to the hallway it was coming from, Cinder just about to call on her powers when- Something, no several something exploded in fiery strikes against her unexacting back. Then the world became one of flashing colours and sparks as she was assaulted from all side, blind to her enemies presence and deaf to their words as her mind was drowned in disjointed screams and shouts.

The last thing she heard was Emerald's whispered 'sorry' and for the first time, Cinder didn't know if it was directed at her, and then she knew no more.

* * *

"You know its not over right?" Emerald asked, her world reduced to the burning pier before her and the sensation of Ruby's hand holding hers. It was warm, calloused but gentle and so very real though Emerald couldn't understand why Ruby was there. But with whatever time she had left Emerald wanted to try and understand it, and maybe recover something she'd once had and to offer it to someone who wouldn't leave her in ashes.

"I know," Ruby whispered back, pressing up against Emerald's side, "But we'll do it together."

"I promise."

* * *

Yeah so I got this idea after looking at some fanart of Emerald eating lots of things and thought that'd have been a cool recurring 'thing' for her in the show given her background, which led to Ruby offering her food and then that spiralled off into this. It had one more scene but for various reasons I couldn't get the scene to snap crackle and pop as I wanted and left it out so this is the more open ending. Thanks to PersonWithManyAliases on SB for looking this over as well.

I hope everyone who read it enjoyed this piece!


End file.
